Hospital CEO finds lost puppy in ambulance bay

A lost puppy lucked out when he crossed paths with the CEO of Baton Rouge General last week.

Edgardo Tenreiro was walking near the hospital’s ambulance bay outside the Emergency Room when he saw a small black puppy who was either lost or had been abandoned on the Bluebonnet campus.

“He was very friendly and playful,” Tenreiro said. “He didn’t have a collar, but he looked healthy and in good shape. I played with him for a few minutes, then called Security to see if we could try to find his owners.”

Several members of the hospital’s Security team arrived, gave the puppy food and water, then placed him in their truck and drove around the grounds hoping to find his owner. In the meantime, Tenreiro posted a photo on the employee Facebook page asking if anyone was interested in adopting.

Sean Altazin, a desktop technician with the IT Department, saw the post and offered within ten minutes to take the dog home with him that day. “I was concerned,” he said. “I wondered what would happen to him if no one came forward. And the timing was right. My girlfriend and I had been talking about getting a dog … and then this happened.”

(He needn’t have worried. Several other hospital employees were checking in on social media over the next few days to make sure the puppy was adopted.)

A visit to the vet failed to reveal a microchip, but Altazin learned that his new pet, who earned a clean bill of health, is a mix of dachshund and Labrador. Over the weekend, Altazin and his girlfriend, Jenny Seymour, tried out a few names and settled on Leo.

“He’s well-behaved and affectionate, always wanting to cuddle,” Altazin said. “It’s possible that someone might claim him, but if not, he has found a good home with us.”

You could say that Leo wasn’t really lost when Tenreiro spotted him that day. Looks like he was already home … and just didn’t know it yet.

That last text was sent September 19, half a day before Maria slammed into Puerto Rico. A week later, Jennifer's family in Louisiana is desperate to know what happened. The U.S. Coast Guard and the FBI are now looking for the missing boat.

That last text was sent September 19, half a day before Maria slammed into Puerto Rico. A week later, Jennifer's family in Louisiana is desperate to know what happened. The U.S. Coast Guard and the FBI are now looking for the missing boat.